The Sims 3 Ambitions Review

By , on September 15, 2010

The Sims 3 Ambitions
Download on the AppStore
4 out of 5

PROS

  • Goal-oriented Sims gameplay.
  • Decent character and personality customization.
  • Easy to use interface.
  • Character import/export feature.

CONS

  • Hard to pick-up-and-play for short bursts.
  • Basically The Sims 3 if you ignore goals.

VERDICT

The Sims 3 Ambitions takes a fairly open-ended game and adds a goal oriented focus that helps to cut back on the fiddly aspects while helping you to enjoy crafting your Sim's path in life.


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See, this is why I don't play The Sims; I should know by now Electronic Arts have tuned their addictive gameplay to an almost demonic level and try as I might it's hard to know when to put your iPhone down. At least a low-battery notice helps somewhat!

As an adaption of the second expansion pack from The Sims 3 this title is all about developing the career and life choices of one particular Sim. After choosing between some fairly standard clothing and appearance options you can start selecting their personality attributes, a basic goal and their overall attitude to others. Once you're in the game the basic Sims gameplay of keeping your Sim happy is augmented by a 'wish' system, which loosely translates in to specific goals for you to achieve over time. Checking these off helps your Sim to grow and also provides opportunities like getting married, new jobs and promotions or even starting your own family.

There are still some fiddly aspects to the controls such as trying to determine where to click to activate the item you require instead of merely walking there, but overall the system is intuitive, with menus on items providing sensible options when all else fails.

In keeping with the ever growing Sims world, players can also import or export their characters to and from other iPhone Sims titles, so now you can grow attached to your Sims in what may be deemed a slightly obsessive way. It's this addictive quality and the goal oriented gameplay that makes Ambitions such a great title and definitely a great pick for casual fans not already bored by The Sims in general.

Screenshots

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